By Megan Gushrowski, Pharmacist and Karen L. Kier, Pharmacist
On behalf of the ONU Healthwise Team 

If someone uses the idiom to “take it with a pinch of salt,” they are asking you to consider or evaluate a statement because one may be skeptical about the truthfulness. Others may think of a pinch of salt when it is used in cooking. However, a pinch of salt (sodium chloride) does have an impact on one’s health.  

A diet high in sodium is a known contributing factor to high blood pressure and a recent study shows it may increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. A study published by the Mayo Clinic in November 2023 asked people whether they always, usually, sometimes, or never/rarely added salt to their food and then followed these people to see if they developed type 2 diabetes. 

The researchers reported people who add salt to their food more frequently have a higher likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes compared to people who add salt to their food less frequently. The link between salt intake and incidence of type 2 diabetes may be due to sodium’s role in causing inflammation in the body and its association with obesity, both of which contribute to a person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Limiting your dietary sodium intake is a great way to decrease your risk of developing chronic medical conditions like type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. Dietary guidelines for Americans recommend a diet with less than 2,300 mg (about 1 teaspoon) of sodium per day for most adults. 

Some medical conditions, such as having high blood pressure or heart failure, require you to further limit your dietary sodium intake. Examples of foods high in sodium include canned soups and vegetables, processed meats, frozen dinners, sauces and condiments and salty snacks such as chips, crackers and nuts. 

To help reduce your sodium intake, choose fresh or frozen vegetables, fresh meats and low-sodium or unsalted snacks. If you decide to eat canned foods, try rinsing the canned foods before eating them to remove some of the sodium.

Another option to reduce sodium intake is to use an alternative flavoring. These flavorings could include garlic, lemon, pepper, onion powder, vinegar or paprika. A commonly recommended spice blend with no salt is Mrs. DashTM. Other spice blends are commercially available with no salt as well. Reading labels is an important part when picking a brand. 

If you want the salt taste without all of the sodium, a salt substitute would be a possible alternative. Salt substitutes use potassium chloride rather than sodium chloride. Reading the label here is important as well because some salt substitutes can be a combination of both potassium chloride and sodium chloride. 

A February 12, 2024 study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology evaluated a mixed salt substitute in older adults. The study used a blend with 62.5% sodium chloride (salt), 25% potassium chloride and 12.5% flavorings. The participants in the study had a normal blood pressure of 120mmHg systolic pressure over 80mmHg diastolic pressure (less than 120/80).  

The researchers compared people with normal salt intake to those who used the provided salt substitute. The study reported the group using the salt substitute had a 40% reduced chance of developing high blood pressure over the next 2 years compared to the group with usual salt intake. The authors reported an 8mmHg difference in systolic pressure and a 2mmHg difference in diastolic pressure between the groups.

Ask your healthcare professional before starting a salt substitute to make sure it is safe with your other medications. 

Think before you pinch!

Contact ONU HealthWise Pharmacy (419-772-3784) for more information on the impact of high sodium intake and ways to limit sodium in your diet.ONU Healthwise is offering the flu and COVID-19 vaccines.Vaccine clinics occur Monday-Friday from 4:00- 6:00 p.m. Please call for more information. 

ONU Healthwise Pharmacy 
419-772-3784